Home Tutor Scheme
Lesson Plan
Topic: CALLING EMERGENCY
What is an emergency?
1. Read the following definition from the Macquarie Learners Dictionary
Emergency: an unexpected serious happening that needs action at once
Have you ever had an emergency situation?
What happened?
What did you do?
2. List the three emergency services
Tick the number should you call for an emergency in Australia?
□ 911
□ 000
□ 999
3. Read this list of events. Tick if they are emergencies.
Event
A house fire
A black out at your house
A road accident & people are injured
Emergency?
YES □
NO □
YES □
NO □
YES □
NO □
A bomb threat
A noisy neighbour
A minor car accident where you scratch someone else car
YES
YES
YES
Finding someone unconscious in the street
Your child has a temperature
Your house has been broken into
There is a fire in your home
There is an intruder in your home
□
□
□
YES □
YES □
YES □
YES □
YES □
NO □
NO □
NO □
NO □
NO □
NO □
NO □
NO □
4. Emergencies are for life threatening events. Read the list above again and decide
whether the event is life threatening or not. Would you change any of your answers?
5. From the list above, the following are NOT emergencies as they are NOT life
threatening.
 A black out at your house (you should light candles and wait)
 A noisy neighbor (if it’s after 12pm call your local Police station)
 A minor car accident where you scratch someone else’s car (call your insurance
company)
 Your child has a temperature (call your local doctor or medical centre)
 Your house has been broken into (call your local Police station)
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6. Find the number for your local Police Station in the white pages & write it down.
Police Station __________________________________
LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY
POLICE
FIRE
AMBULANCE
dial
000
24 hour service
Freecall
7. In case of a life threatening emergency you will need to do the following
Stay calm
Dial 000
Tell the operator which service you need ‘Police, Fire, or Ambulance’.
Wait to be connected
Give the operator your details
Tell the operator what has happened
Listen for instructions
8. Things everyone should know in an emergency



If a person is unable to speak English, they should call Triple Zero (000) from a fixed
line, say ‘Police’, ‘Fire’ or ‘Ambulance’. Once connected to the nominated emergency
service, stay on the line, tell them what language is required and a translator will be
organised.

A Telstra operator will answer and ask you if you need Police, Fire or Ambulance.
Say the service that you require.

You will then be connected to the nominated emergency service operator, who will
take details of the situation.

Stay on the line, speak clearly and answer the operator's questions.

Give the operator the details of where you are, including street number, name,
nearest cross street, and locality. If you are calling using a mobile or satellite phone
the operator will ask you for other location information.

In rural areas it is important to give the full address and distances from landmarks
and roads, not just the name of the property.

Don't hang up until the operator has all the information they need.

If possible wait outside at a prearranged meeting point or in a prominent location for
emergency services to arrive to assist them to locate the emergency.
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
If you make a Triple Zero (000) call whilst travelling on a Motorway or on a rural
road, identifying the direction you are travelling and the last exit or town you passed
through will assist emergency services to correctly locate the incident.

Record the Triple Zero (000) emergency number beside the telephone at home and
work.

Take time to teach children and overseas visitors how to make an emergency call.
9. Write down your name
Write down your phone number
Write down your address
Write down your nearest cross street
Write down what language you speak
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10. Practice the following dialogue. Your tutor is the operator and you are the parent.
Telstra operator: Police, Fire or Ambulance?
Parent: Ambulance
Telstra Operator: connecting now
Parent: (wait to be connected)
Emergency Operator: What is your address?
Parent: 24 Fulton Street, Petersham NSW 2049
Emergency Operator: What is the nearest cross street?
Parent: Old Canterbury Road
Emergency Operator: What is your name?
Parent: Lily Xiao
Emergency Operator: How do you spell your surname?
Parent: X-I-A-O
Emergency Operator: What’s your phone number?
Parent: 9417 5293
Emergency Operator: What is wrong?
Parent: My little daughter has eaten some washing powder. She is only 2 years old.
She has been vomiting. Her mouth is going all red and she is screaming. I don’t
know what to do!
Emergency Operator: Stay calm and make sure she has no more washing powder
in her mouth. It is a chemical poison so keep her vomiting until she gets it all out.
The ambulance is on its way. Keep her calm and get the chemicals out of her reach.
(This information is not fact. It is for role play purposes only).
Note to tutors: The emergency operator may speak very quickly or use slightly different
scripts on the telephone so practice reading the dialogue using different
vocabulary/speeds/accents for your learners so that they have accurate listening practice.
Please also ensure that you are clear about the events where the local police station or
doctor should be used instead of emergency services.
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11. Read the following:
It is about 6:30pm and you are just coming home from work. You get inside the
house and suddenly notice the television and computer are missing. You realise you
have been broken into.
What do you do?
Remember if the event is not life threatening you should NOT call 000.
12. Read this story:
It is about 7:30am and you are on your way to the bus stop, walking down Sussex
Street, Homebush Bay. You suddenly hear car brakes screeching and then a loud
crash. Two cars have just had a bad accident and it looks like some of the
passengers may be hurt. You run over to the cars and check the passengers are ok.
One of the drivers is badly injured. There is no one else around.
You need to call 000 on your mobile, or find the nearest public phone. Write down
the information you need.
What service do you need?
What Suburb & State are you in?
What is wrong?
Where is the accident?
What is the nearest cross street?
What’s your name?
How do you spell your name?
What’s your telephone number?
Is anyone injured?
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